Somos OC | Mpowerment Orange County CA

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Everyone needs access to affordable health care, especially young adult bisexual and gay men. Millennial young bisexual and gay men's lives are in transition. There is a lot going on. Moving out, being independent, finding a job and/or going to a University or Community College. Why is it important to think about preventative health care? Yes, well gay men are at increased risk for certain chronic diseases and mental health problems. HIV infections are also increasing among young adult gay and bisexual men. Think about it, nobody should go broke because they become ill, need medications or break an arm. Let's make it a goal to get more young men enrolled in health insurance.

Mpowerment Long Island NY

Open Enrollment Deadlines

November 1, 2016: Open Enrollment 2017 starts. This is the first day you can enroll, re-enroll, or change health plans for 2017.

December 15, 2016: You must enroll in or change health plans by this date for your health plan to start January 1, 2017.

January 1, 2017: 2017 insurance starts if you enrolled or changed plans by December 15.

January 31, 2017: Last day to enroll in or change a 2017 health plan. After this date, you can enroll or change plans only if you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.

Save these dates...participate!December 5th to 10th - LGBT Enrollment Week of ActionDecember 10th - National Youth Enrollment Day of ActionDec. 15th - Deadline for coverage that starts January 1st, 2017We need your help to keep things moving in the right direction for young adults. What can your Mpowerment Project do to encourage discussion about the Affordable Care Act/Obamacare?Mpowerment Projects (MP) can bring awareness and information about enrolling in health insurance coverage to their participants. Let these helpful sites guide you.

Mpowerment Projects can host discussion events on the importance of health insurance coverage and why young adult gay and bisexual men can benefit from having insurance. Have your Core Group members discuss ideas on how to get more young men enrolled in health care.Share me! Out 2 Enroll features a series of shareables. They've go reminders about the start of enrollment, free in-person LGBTQ-friendly assisters, and more. (Facebook / Twitter)

Social Media Kit: Our friends at HHS have put together an awesome toolkit, which includes key Open Enrollment messages, graphics and video, a social media calendar and more. It will be updated throughout Open Enrollment and will be a one-stop shop for #GetCovered content. Check it out here. #HealthyAdulting is a new Young Invincibles campaign to provide resources to Millennials on all things coverage to care. Check it out here. Hashtag me: #GetCovered | #WhyImCovered | #HealthyAdulting

Now that the election is over, we know that consumers, navigators, and partners have
expressed concerns and asked questions about the future of the Affordable Care Act and their
ability to enroll in quality, affordable health coverage through the Marketplace.

That is particularly true for the more than 12 million Americans who have come to count on the
coverage they’ve purchased through the Affordable Care Act marketplace, and another 15
million who have gained coverage through Medicaid since 2013.

Both groups are deeply worried about what the election results mean for their health, their
families, and their financial security.

As of now, nothing about the Affordable Care Act marketplace has changed, and consumers
who enroll and pay their first premium by December 15 will have coverage starting January 1.

We know that consumers have questions about the election and the implications for their
coverage moving forward, and we will be paying close attention to this topic.

If anything were to change about their coverage options for 2017, our staff, volunteers and
partners will be available to help consumers understand what it means for them.

But right now, it is critically important to reassure consumers that nothing has changed.

Open enrollment is ongoing right now, and consumers should continue to enroll.

And the excitement we’ve seen from consumers, and the dedication and energy we’ve seen

from the enrollment community, makes us optimistic about what we can accomplish during this
enrollment period.

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Enroll America Q&A on the Election and the ACA Q&A

Q. What do you think President Trump and the Republican Congress will do about the Affordable Care
Act?

I can’t speculate about what actions the President or Congress might take in the future.

What I can say is that as of now, nothing has changed about the fourth enrollment period – not dates, not plans, and not prices.

Furthermore, a “full repeal on Day 1” likely won’t be possible because of the 60 vote threshold to move legislation in the Senate.

So even if reconciliation legislation is used to roll back parts of the Affordable Care Act, it’s likely that 2017 plans will remain in place.

That’s particularly true because both issuers and Members of Congress have expressed a desire to avoid disruptions and do no harm to consumers already in the system.

Assisters in the HealthCare.gov states are already funded through September 2017, and that funding can’t be revoked.

That means free, expert assistance will continue to be available to consumers throughout the enrollment period and beyond.

So the bottom line is that as of now nothing has changed, and consumers can still enroll in affordable coverage that will help to meet their families’ healthcare needs.

Q. What are you doing to get the word out to consumers who make think that Obamacare has already
been repealed?

Our staff and our partners are already actively engaged in reaching out to consumers to
enroll in coverage during the open enrollment period, and energy and enthusiasm has been
high.

So they are all perfectly positioned to let consumers know that – no matter what happened
in the election – they are still able to get financial help and enroll in a plan right now.

Over the next few months, we’ll be working tirelessly to spread the word and help as many people as possible enroll in or renew their coverage.

Q. But how can you in good faith tell consumers to enroll when it’s almost certain the law will be
repealed?

Because it’s absolutely true that as of now, nothing has changed.

Consumers can enroll in coverage right now, pay their premium by December 15, and begin using their insurance for medical care on January 1.

Any changes will not impact consumers until after the new Administration and Congress is sworn in, and even if they do choose to make changes, those changes may not impact consumers for a year or more.

But right now, consumers can receive financial help to enroll in coverage, and use that coverage to access care.

That is an incredibly important opportunity for millions of American families, and we want to make sure they know it is still available to them.